Kos Wildlife Walks

Offering free ethical trips for wildlife spotting, photography, herping and birdwatching around Kos Island, Greece

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"Discover the beauty of Kos island's wildlife on a personalised birdwatching and nature adventure. As a biologist, wildlife filmmaker and birdwatcher, I will ensure that you experience the best of the island's remarkable bird and reptile species. Book your trip and embark on a walk or mini-safari to observe the fascinating creatures that call this beautiful island home.

To make your visit more convenient, I offer hotel pick-up services for an additional fee. Please inquire about this option via E-mail or message."

-George

About the trips

Free
The walks are free, but tips (approx. €20–40 per person) are gladly accepted if you enjoyed the walk
2 hours
Average walking time
Moderate activity
Can be adjusted for beginners
5 km
Average walking distance
Hiking
Activity type
Kos island
Meeting or pickup point based on your preferences

Reviews

What to expect

Nature is unpredictable and there is beauty to that. Every day is different, but we know what to expect from different locations.

BIRDS
The walks mainly focus on the bird life of Kos Island. Depending on the season you arrive, we will be able to observe different birds. Please find below a list of birds I have spotted on Kos island to date. If you have any specific birds you'd like to see, please let me know in advance so I can make arrangements for our trip.
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
Herping, the activity of looking for reptiles and amphibians, will also be a goal on our trips. Join us to discover the spur-thighed tortoise, the Balkan terrapin, the common and green toads, the starred agamas, the black and Dahl’s whip snakes, glass lizards, and, if we are lucky, vipers!
MAMMALS
Due to increased anthropogenic factors, mammal-watching is becoming more and more difficult, as animals adapt to avoid people at long distances. We may, however, encounter hedgehogs, hares, rabbits, dolphins and bats.

Bird species recorded around Kos

Feel free to explore my eBird profile

Eurasian Blackcap
European Serin
Ring-necked Pheasant
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Long-legged Buzzard
Eurasian Kestrel
Eurasian Magpie
Crested Lark
Willow Warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Chukar
Eurasian Scops-Owl
European Roller
Eurasian Golden Oriole
Northern Shoveler
Greater Flamingo
Little Grebe
European Turtle-Dove
Common Swift
Eurasian Coot
Yellow-legged Gull
White-winged Tern
White Stork
Great Cormorant
Squacco Heron
Purple Heron
Eurasian Spoonbill
Common Buzzard
Short-eared Owl
Common Kingfisher
Red-backed Shrike
Hooded Crow
Common Raven
Moustached Warbler
Great Reed Warbler
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Rüppell's Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Eastern Subalpine Warbler
Greater Whitethroat
Mistle Thrush
Common Nightingale
Black Redstart
European Stonechat
Northern Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
Dunnock
Gray Wagtail
Cirl Bunting

Coal Tit
Little Owl
Lesser Kestrel
Common Redstart
Blue Rock-Thrush
Ruddy Shelduck
Common Shelduck
Garganey
Eurasian Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Alpine Swift
Pallid Swift
Water Rail
Eurasian Moorhen
Eurasian Thick-knee
Black-winged Stilt
Black-bellied Plover
European Golden-Plover
Eurasian Dotterel
Common Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Northern Lapwing
Spur-winged Lapwing
Greater Sand-Plover
Kentish Plover
Eurasian Curlew
Bar-tailed Godwit
Common Snipe
Common Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Redshank
Spotted Redshank
Common Greenshank
Ruff
Curlew Sandpiper
Sanderling
Dunlin
Little Stint
Slender-billed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Caspian Gull
Whiskered Tern
Common Tern
Sandwich Tern

European Shag
Little Bittern
Little Egret
Western Cattle Egret
Great Egret
Gray Heron
Glossy Ibis
Western Marsh Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Eurasian Hoopoe
European Bee-eater
Red-footed Falcon
Eleonora's Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Lesser Gray Shrike
Woodchat Shrike
Eurasian Jackdaw
Great Tit
Greater Short-toed Lark
Eurasian Skylark
Bearded Reedling
Zitting Cisticola
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
Common Reed Warbler
Western House-Martin
Cetti's Warbler
European Starling
Rosy Starling
Eurasian Blackbird
Spotted Flycatcher
Whinchat
House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Western Yellow Wagtail
White Wagtail
Richard's Pipit
Tawny Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Tree Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Common Chaffinch
European Greenfinch
Eurasian Linnet
European Goldfinch
Corn Bunting
Cretzschmar's Bunting
Reed Bunting
Short-toed Snake-Eagle

Previous trips

Click here to see photo reports from our previous trips

Approximate bird migration schedule for you to decide on dates:

March — May: flamingoes, ibis and many other waders, ducks, stonechats, redstarts, warblers, finches, herons and egrets, pipits, grebes, shrikes, terns, sparrows, rollers, chukars, owls, falcons, eagles. Average bird count during a walk: 30.

June: yellow-legged gulls, hooded crows, swallows, swifts and martins, warblers, larks, jackdaws, cormorants, shags, some warblers. Average bird count during a walk: 22.

July — August: NOT recommended, usually too hot for birdwatching. Hooded crows, yellow-legged gulls, house sparrows, few shrikes, some wagtails, doves, very few warblers. Average bird count during a walk: 7.

September: tits, buntings (also Cretzschmar's bunting), a couple flamingoes, godwits, plovers and other wading birds, thick-knees, wagtails, golden oriole and many other bird species. Average bird count during a walk: 17.

October — November: Flamingoes and multiple species of wading birds, storks, herons, egrets, hawks, falcons, larks, pipits, grebes, sparrows, rollers, chukars. Average bird count during a walk: 32.

December — March: Average bird count during a walk: 26.

There are no bathrooms out in nature, so it's either behind a sand dune, or in the bushes.

THE WALKS ARE FREE

Although not obligatory, if you enjoyed the trip, please consider tipping €30–60 at the end of the walk

What to bring and wear

Hiking boots

...or closed shoes. We may walk through sandy dunes and grass.

Sunscreen and head cover

The scorching Green sun is no joke.

Water

Make sure to stay hydrated and bring 1.5 L of water per person.

Long trousers

We will be walking through spiky grasses.

Binoculars

Recommended.

Long-lens camera

Always great to have.

Join us!

About the Trip leader: George Schnipper

After scouting the island for years, George the zoologist has started Kos Wildlife Walks with an ethical approach in mind. My goal is to show you birds, snakes, lizards and mammals while at the same time cause as little disturbance as possible to the ecosystem.